You have made it to the end of Baldur’s Gate 3 storyline, faced countless monsters, barely survived some encounters, and watched your characters go through some intense personal growth (and maybe some tadpole-induced transformations). Now is the time to encounter the Elder Brain, the mastermind behind all the squirming Mind Flayers and twisted tadpoles. It’s one of the most consequential choices in the game, your choice decides what Baldur’s Gate 3 ending you have.
Should you destroy or control the Elder Brain in BG3? Each choice has its consequences, leaving you to analyze the moral and practical implications of becoming the ruler of an army of Mind Flayers or freeing yourself from the Elder Brain once and for all. Here’s a breakdown to help you decide to set a path for your end story.
What Happens If You Destroy the Elder Brainin Baldur’s Gate 3?
To destroy the Elder Brain is to deliver a decisive blow to the monster responsible for manipulating and endangering the lives of many, including your own. Once the Elder Brain is gone, it falls into the waters surrounding Baldur’s Gate, giving relief across the city. The Mind Flayers, now cut off from their master, are overpowered by the Githyanki and the ones fighting to defend Baldur’s Gate.
Choosing to destroy the Elder Brain opens up the most satisfying set of reflections from your party members and now make future plans. Lae’zel, for example, now makes an important decision regarding her allegiance to Vlaakith. With the Elder Brain gone, she has a chance to step out of her rigid Githyanki role and chart a different path (maybe staying in your party). Karlach might face a more tragic fate depending on her form in the end; she will be dead if you have not allowed her to become Mind Flayer. And Astarion, if he’s still his vampiric self, may find the sun isn’t as welcoming as he hoped.
In destroying the Elder Brain, you’re given closure, a sense that you fought the good fight. You and your companions have achieved a good victory not only for yourselves but for Baldur’s Gate City and everyone affected by the Elder Brain’s control.
What Happens If You Control the Elder Brain in Baldur’s Gate 3?
What will happen next if you go down this slippery path? By taking control of the Elder Brain in BG3, the power is in your hands—or tentacles, as per your decisions so far. If you’ve sided with the Emperor and allowed him to hold the Netherstones, he becomes the puppet master of the Elder Brain, and you can work with him as a ruler. But if you side with Orpheus (and he’s taken on the Mind Flayer form), or have volunteered your main character or even Karlach for the transformation into Mind Flayer, control over the Elder Brain falls to your side.
Let’s say that controlling the Elder Brain doesn’t exactly make for a “happily ever after.” In my playthrough, after selecting the “control” option with Karlach as a Mind Flayer, things took a dark turn. As the new “Absolute,” I watched as Karlach, now in her monstrous form, and killing her myself. Baldur’s Gate, the city we fought so hard to protect, didn’t stand a chance. And just like that, the game was over, my character perched atop the Elder Brain with Netherstones in hand, and Baldur’s Gate in ruins below. It’s a bittersweet victory, leaning heavily into the tragedy, and frankly, it was a tough choice to watch play out.
Should I Destroy or Control the Elder Brain in BG3?
The decision hinges on what you want to experience, you can choose to destroy the brain to see what fates your companions have after that conflict. There are reflections and choices in going that way. For me, destroying the Elder Brain has a fulfillment sense and a BG3 ending worthy of the interesting journey. There’s satisfaction in ending the tyrannical threat and witnessing the results of the choice in the city free from the control of the baddie, though it results in a few loose ends and farewells along the way.
On the other hand, controlling the Elder Brain is a bold move that leads to a somewhat darker ending. Your character wields huge power, despite the cost, and is a powerful way to wrap up the game’s storyline. However, it cuts short some of the most touching character moments and sacrifices.
In short, if you’ve been fighting tooth and nail to free Baldur’s Gate and ensure a future for its people, destroying the Elder Brain is the best choice. But to experience the darker path and want to see how far your character is willing to go, it’s interesting to control the Elder Brain and see what you have upfront.
How to Confront the Elder Brain
After acquiring both Orin’s and Gortash’s Netherstones, make your way to the Morphic Pool. Prepare by gathering allies, as the final fight benefits a lot from the “Gather Your Allies” quest—any saved characters and allies will make a big difference here.
Once ready, head through the Undercity Ruins and into the Morphic Pool Dock. After a cutscene and the chance to save one last time, you’ll face the Elder Brain’s mind-bending influence, requiring mental checks and challenges along the way. Eventually, there is a face-to-face with the Elder Brain itself, and depending on the choice you make, the game will end in one of the multiple possible outcomes.
If you’re relying on AOE spells to combat Intellect Devourers or using powerful healing potions, be sure to go into the fight well-stocked. If Gale is in your party, he offers a shortcut with a sacrificial spell, which can end the fight in one quick (if heartbreaking) moment. Since Gale carries the mighty Netherese orb (a ticking magical bomb that could take down just about anything), he can finish off the Brain in one go. You can ask him to activate the orb, setting off a massive detonation that’s powerful enough to wipe out the Elder Brain and the entire Illithid threat.
He’ll sneak into the Elder Brain’s lair and blast the Netherese orb right in its midst. The whole party gets teleported to safety right before the explosion, so everyone will be safe. This sacrifice results in an emotional ending, particularly if he’s been a core member of your party. It’s tragic, of course, but also gives Gale a redemption arc right for his character.
So, will you crush the Elder Brain in Baldur’s Gate 3 and bid farewell to all those tadpole trials, or take up the crown and rule a new world of Mind Flayers? Choose wisely, and may your story in Baldur’s Gate end as excitingly as it began.
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